Help Taurus get back on his feet
Donation protected
Roshena Miller is organizing this fundraiser on behalf of Taurus Parks.
After watching all the recent events on TV, I decided to start this GoFundMe page for my dear friend Taurus. I have known Taurus for close to 30 years. We went to high school together. The purpose of this GoFundMe is financial assistance for Taurus to help him find somewhere to live and help him financially get on his feet. Let me briefly explain his situation.
Taurus is an employee of Kroger. On November 18, 2020, a customer attempted to assault Taurus at work. The attacker also called Taurus a racial slur as he tried to assault him. Taurus was simply standing in line on his break trying to make a purchase when the disgruntled customer attacked him after arguing with a female cashier. Thankfully, Taurus was able to defend himself against his attacker.
I simply cannot understand how during the first half of 2020, my friend was praised as being an essential employee. Yet less than 6 months later Kroger showed no concern for his well-being. What happened to him during this incident was inexcusable in my opinion. Let me give you a brief synopsis of how the situation was handled by Kroger.
Firstly, the assailant was simply allowed to leave the store. No police were called, and the video (yes this is all on video) was never released to the news media to locate the assailant. Taurus was immediately suspended without pay. The customer was allowed back in the store the very next day.
Secondly, Taurus was sent to arbitration. The arbitrator asked him why did he fight the man back so much? That is right, you read it correctly. She asked him why he fought back, when he was being assaulted for no reason, by an absolute stranger, in 2020. That is like me asking Ms. Xiao Zhen Xie, the 75-year-old Asian women who defended herself against an attacker with a wooden board, why did she fight back? Why would you fight back if you were attacked? Most importantly, it is his right to fight back, and my friend fought back because he wants to live, and he values his life.
Thirdly, Taurus was suspended without pay from November 18, 2020 until April 2021. 5 months with no income because a Kroger customer attacked him at work. He was not given back pay. No one from Kroger has called to check on my friend. What about his physical and mental health? Kroger is a grocery store; their leadership could have at least made sure he had food.
Next week he will have to move. As a result of everything, he has not had a paycheck stub in 5 months, so it makes it almost impossible to rent anything because he has no verification of income. A loan with no job is out of the question. Yet he has worked at Kroger for over 7 years as an outstanding employee. He can’t even get them to pay him for his 2 weeks of accrued vacation leave.
It absolutely hurts my heart to believe that my friend would be discounted to so little, when he means so much to me. He is someone. He is a person who is loved. What if he did not have the strength to fight back and was killed that day? Would that have made the news? Kroger makes it seem as if his life and well-being do not even matter. Yet they were praising him at this very same time last year for his selfless service, sacrifice, and dedication. He could barely get people to call him back when he asked about his job over the past 5 months.
We all lived in the same 2020 where we watched George Floyd be murdered in broad daylight in front of a crowd. We have seen retail employees assaulted by customers who did not want to follow mask ordinances. The employees did not make the rules. They are just trying to survive like everyone else. Just a few weeks ago in 2021 we saw several grocery store workers murdered while simply working on their jobs. We also saw several Asian women murdered for what seems like no reason other than being humans at work.
So, I ask you this? What are the rights of retail/grocery store employees? Can customers just come into the store and do as they please with no consequences on their behalf, just because they are having a bad day. As far as I am concerned most of the world had a bad 2020 and 2021 has yet to be determined. How this situation was handled with Taurus tells me that retail and grocery store employees are truly NOT protected. Someone can go into their place of employment, where they have been loyal employees and assault them with no questions, no police, no consequences. On the other hand, the employee is left to suffer. I shop at a local Publix and I could never imagine someone harming one of the employees. These are people who serve my community with love and a smile.
In closing, I remember when I graduated from college and started my first job. I got paid once a month. Sometimes I would have to ask Taurus for money at the end of the month because I did not have enough for gas and lunch money. He always helped me. He never made me feel less than. Now he is in a situation where he has had to deplete his savings, he does not have family to help, and I have helped as much as I could. He is in this situation for no fault of his own. So, I humbly ask you to consider donating. If you cannot donate, please help by sharing this go fund me page with others. Thank you for your time in reading my request.
After watching all the recent events on TV, I decided to start this GoFundMe page for my dear friend Taurus. I have known Taurus for close to 30 years. We went to high school together. The purpose of this GoFundMe is financial assistance for Taurus to help him find somewhere to live and help him financially get on his feet. Let me briefly explain his situation.
Taurus is an employee of Kroger. On November 18, 2020, a customer attempted to assault Taurus at work. The attacker also called Taurus a racial slur as he tried to assault him. Taurus was simply standing in line on his break trying to make a purchase when the disgruntled customer attacked him after arguing with a female cashier. Thankfully, Taurus was able to defend himself against his attacker.
I simply cannot understand how during the first half of 2020, my friend was praised as being an essential employee. Yet less than 6 months later Kroger showed no concern for his well-being. What happened to him during this incident was inexcusable in my opinion. Let me give you a brief synopsis of how the situation was handled by Kroger.
Firstly, the assailant was simply allowed to leave the store. No police were called, and the video (yes this is all on video) was never released to the news media to locate the assailant. Taurus was immediately suspended without pay. The customer was allowed back in the store the very next day.
Secondly, Taurus was sent to arbitration. The arbitrator asked him why did he fight the man back so much? That is right, you read it correctly. She asked him why he fought back, when he was being assaulted for no reason, by an absolute stranger, in 2020. That is like me asking Ms. Xiao Zhen Xie, the 75-year-old Asian women who defended herself against an attacker with a wooden board, why did she fight back? Why would you fight back if you were attacked? Most importantly, it is his right to fight back, and my friend fought back because he wants to live, and he values his life.
Thirdly, Taurus was suspended without pay from November 18, 2020 until April 2021. 5 months with no income because a Kroger customer attacked him at work. He was not given back pay. No one from Kroger has called to check on my friend. What about his physical and mental health? Kroger is a grocery store; their leadership could have at least made sure he had food.
Next week he will have to move. As a result of everything, he has not had a paycheck stub in 5 months, so it makes it almost impossible to rent anything because he has no verification of income. A loan with no job is out of the question. Yet he has worked at Kroger for over 7 years as an outstanding employee. He can’t even get them to pay him for his 2 weeks of accrued vacation leave.
It absolutely hurts my heart to believe that my friend would be discounted to so little, when he means so much to me. He is someone. He is a person who is loved. What if he did not have the strength to fight back and was killed that day? Would that have made the news? Kroger makes it seem as if his life and well-being do not even matter. Yet they were praising him at this very same time last year for his selfless service, sacrifice, and dedication. He could barely get people to call him back when he asked about his job over the past 5 months.
We all lived in the same 2020 where we watched George Floyd be murdered in broad daylight in front of a crowd. We have seen retail employees assaulted by customers who did not want to follow mask ordinances. The employees did not make the rules. They are just trying to survive like everyone else. Just a few weeks ago in 2021 we saw several grocery store workers murdered while simply working on their jobs. We also saw several Asian women murdered for what seems like no reason other than being humans at work.
So, I ask you this? What are the rights of retail/grocery store employees? Can customers just come into the store and do as they please with no consequences on their behalf, just because they are having a bad day. As far as I am concerned most of the world had a bad 2020 and 2021 has yet to be determined. How this situation was handled with Taurus tells me that retail and grocery store employees are truly NOT protected. Someone can go into their place of employment, where they have been loyal employees and assault them with no questions, no police, no consequences. On the other hand, the employee is left to suffer. I shop at a local Publix and I could never imagine someone harming one of the employees. These are people who serve my community with love and a smile.
In closing, I remember when I graduated from college and started my first job. I got paid once a month. Sometimes I would have to ask Taurus for money at the end of the month because I did not have enough for gas and lunch money. He always helped me. He never made me feel less than. Now he is in a situation where he has had to deplete his savings, he does not have family to help, and I have helped as much as I could. He is in this situation for no fault of his own. So, I humbly ask you to consider donating. If you cannot donate, please help by sharing this go fund me page with others. Thank you for your time in reading my request.
Organiser and beneficiary
Roshena Miller
Organiser
Huntsville, AL
Taurus Parks
Beneficiary